First things first. Not all liberals loathe the military, so the title is a generalization which is not always accurate. But a very large percentage of liberals do, indeed, loathe the military. And liberals in power, by and large, loathe the military. Remember a few years back, when SF didn’t want the US Navy in its waters?
I can understand if we were a third-world (or even second-world) country. In such instances, a fear of the military could be justified. Many third-world countries have had military coups.* Second-world countries have used the military to keep its people down. USSR used tanks to quell Czechoslovakia and to keep other Eastern-Bloc nations in line, when the people did not want Communist rule and did not want USSR rule. The Berlin Wall was erected around West Berlin, not to keep West Berliners out of East Berlin, but to keep East Berliners out of West Berlin. And Communist East Germany, with the aid of USSR, built that wall. And the military was used to murder any person trying to escape communism.
Tiannenmen Square is another example of a second-world country using the military to beat down its own citizens. Communist China used its military to kill people protesting for democracy.
But here in the US? How many anti-government protests have there been? The left’s protests have been very vocal and very violent. The left’s protests, even when not violent, have left barge-loads of trash in their wakes. And yet, no tanks to drive over top of them. The right’s protests have been peaceful and litter-free, and the left has spent much time mocking them. And, still, no tanks to drive over top of protesters.
Anyone who joins the military swears an oath to the Constitution. It is driven into their heads from Day 1 of Basic Training and reinforced constantly throughout their service. And it is service, not power and control. The President of the US is the Commander in Chief. There is no allowance for rejecting the supreme commander of the US military. Members of the military also give up their rights to give their opinions of the CiC in public. It can be a felony-level offense to speak out against the CiC, complete with prison time and loss of retirement income.
Those who have donned the uniform of our military have done so to protect this country and to defend the Constitution. They have given up their First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights so the rest of the country can keep them. And yet, a great many liberals despise people in uniform. Liberals in office have a huge despise for our military.
It is obvious to those who wear the uniform that Clinton despised them and had no respect for them. It is obvious to those who wear the uniform that Obama has less respect for them than Clinton did. And yet, those who wear the uniform still live up to their oaths and still “salute the rank”.
With our 233-year history, not once has our military tried a coup. And it never will. Our military serves this country. Serves. And yet, massive numbers of liberals despise the very ones charged with protecting the rights of those selfsame liberals.
I don’t understand the reasoning.
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*Honduras is not one of those countries, liberals, because the Honduran Supreme Court asked the military to throw the constitution-violating President out of office. What happened in Honduras was in keeping with the rule of law, and nothing more.
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Cross Posted on Truth Before Dishonor
Military coups are rare in the West. They seem to be a third world thing. The failed effort to eliminate Hitler and the NSDAP was unique in German history.
Some movies about the US take a different stance, but these were generally the work of Liberals.
Libs love the military when they can be used as a backdrop for a photo op.
I believe that Kipling said it all in his ditty about “Tommy”.
I’m actually getting a little blow-back on my blog over this. You should check it out.
I don’t think Libs would have done well in Sparta.
John,
How many years did you serve in uniform?
Gort, not enough. Not nearly enough. I regret shedding my uniform. And I regret going Reserves instead of Active.
Parris Island Marine. PLT 3036, Series 3036, H Co, 3rd BTN. Then off to Camp LeJeune (Camp Geiger) for Infantry Training School. And after all 25 weeks of training was done, off to my Akron, OH Reserve center.
Of course, my daughter, now well along in her 21 years, entered US Army BCT the day before her 18th birthday. And she is still active-duty Army.
Why do you ask?
the “blowback” on Hitchcock’s blog = commenters showing him where he’s wrong & him putting his fingers in his ears while humming real loud
I would say it’s the Left that loathes the military, and has at least since Vietnam. Why? Because we were fighting a Communist dictatorship, and the Left was on the side of the Commies. It’s a bit of a simplified explanation, but seems to come pretty close to hitting the bullseye.
Proof?
Jeff, try to park a Guided Missile Frigate in San Fransisco Bay.
Tyrone wrote a comment on my site. It’s definitely worth the read. Lots of statements regarding what liberals have done in regard to their respect of our military, or the lack thereof.
John Hitchcock whines: “Why Do Liberals Loathe The Military?”
I don’t, John! But I do “loathe” wars, because I am pro-life! Won’t you join me in being pro-life, John? I also issue the same invitation to Eric to join us in this crusade for life, against war.
Republicans ‘support’ the troops by giving them wars and taking away their benefits to pay for more bullets, and tax cuts for their friends, and to give directly to their contractor friends.
It’s kind of like how Colonel Sanders supported chickens.
That depends on the war. Some are worth fighting, because it’s the only way to defeat evil. The alternative is pacifism and/or appeasement.
We saw how well that worked leading up to WW 2.
Wrong-O. Republicans support the troops by wanting them to win. The only thing worse than being killed or wounded in battle is to be killed or wounded in an effort the leaders have no intention of winning. As Exhibit A for this, I give you LBJ and Vietnam.